Double-walled drawer sidewall

ABSTRACT

A double-walled drawer sidewall includes an outer wall and an inner wall connected thereto. A rounded portion is provided at the rear lower end of the outer wall.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a double-walled drawer side wall comprising an outer wall and an inner wall connected thereto. The invention further concerns a process for producing such a double-walled drawer side wall and a drawer having such double-walled drawer side walls.

Double-walled drawer side walls are already very well-known in the state of the art. In most cases, those double-walled drawer side walls comprise a metal sheet which is shaped in a hat configuration, wherein the outer wall and the inner wall can be formed integrally with each other. It is, however, also possible for those two walls to be joined together by known connecting procedures. Overall such double-walled drawer side walls have the advantage that functional parts can be accommodated in the interior thereof, for example in the front region a connecting device for releasable connection to a front wall holder which is pre-fitted to a front panel of the drawer. A so-called rear wall holder to which the rear wall of the drawer can be latchingly engaged can be provided at the rear end.

The double-walled drawer side wall is typically of a hat-shaped configuration, wherein the underside can be fitted on to a rail system directly or by way of a drawer box rail connected to the outer and/or the inner wall. Such rail systems typically have a carcass rail which is fixed to the carcass of the article of furniture and a drawer rail which is movable relative thereto, in particular by way of rolling bodies, and which in operation can be fixedly connected to the drawer. A central rail can also be disposed between those two rails to provide a so-called full-extension arrangement.

At its lower region the double-walled drawer side wall can have a profiled drawer box rail which extends in the longitudinal direction and which is fixedly connected to the double-walled drawer side wall. Such a drawer box rail typically also has a leg which points towards the inside of the drawer and on which a drawer bottom can be placed. The region of the drawer box rail, that is opened out in its profile and is open substantially downwardly in a U-shape serves for receiving and joining to a drawer rail of a rail system. All those particularities and details can preferably also be provided in the double-walled drawer side wall according to the invention.

A drawer with two such double-walled drawer side walls to the left and the right, a drawer bottom, a rear back wall and a front panel can typically be suspended releasably in a rail system provided in the furniture carcass and can be releasably connected thereto. In other words, the drawer can be easily inserted into the rail system in the carcass of the article of furniture and removed again therefrom, for example, for cleaning purposes or in initial fitment. In that respect there is the problem that, with the drawer removed, a support surface, for example a worktop in the kitchen, is damaged and in particular scratched by the drawer in handling thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to provide a double-walled drawer side wall with which the risk of damage when handling a drawer with such a double-walled drawer side wall is reduced. In addition, the invention aims to provide a process for producing such a drawer side wall and a drawer equipped therewith.

The invention is based on the realization that the main risk of damaging a surface, in particular the surface of a worktop of a kitchen, arises from lifting up a drawer resting thereon at the front side thereof, because then the rear lower end of the double-walled drawer side wall, which is normally of a sharp-edged nature, can scratch the surface and thus damage it.

The basic idea of the invention is now that of making that critical rear lower end of the outer wall less sharp-edged by virtue of a rounded configuration and thus minimising the risk of damage.

That rounded configuration can either be formed in the material of the drawer side wall itself but in accordance with a further variant of the invention it is also possible for the rounded configuration to be provided on a separate edge protection part which is connected to the outer wall—preferably by way of a latching connection.

A still further improvement in scratch protection can be achieved if the end of the rounded configuration—like also the rest of the double-walled drawer side wall—is coated. That coating can be for example a powder coating or a paint or lacquer. Other coatings are also certainly conceivable and possible. What is essential is that those coatings, in contrast to the generally metal material of the outer wall, are softer and smoother, in particular when applied also to the end of the rounded configuration and the scratching risk is further reduced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further advantages and details of the invention will be described more fully by means of the following specific description:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a drawer according to the invention,

FIG. 2 shows a furniture carcass with two fitted and one removed drawer,

FIG. 3 shows a drawer placed in a lifted condition on a support surface (worktop),

FIG. 3a shows a detail A from FIG. 3,

FIG. 4 shows a portion of an embodiment of a drawer according to the invention with an embodiment of a drawer side wall according to the invention as a perspective view from below at the inside inclinedly upwardly and outwardly,

FIG. 4a shows a detail B of FIG. 4 on an enlarged scale,

FIG. 5 shows a diagrammatic cross-section though an embodiment of a double-walled drawer side wall according to the invention, approximately along line C-C in FIG. 4,

FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of the rear lower end of a double-walled drawer side wall according to the invention, and

FIGS. 7a and 7b show an alternative of a double-walled drawer side wall according to the invention with a separate edge protection part.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the specific description hereinafter the positional references up and down are to be interpreted in relation to the usual position of installation of the drawer, in which it is displaceable horizontally. The expressions front and rear relate to the extension direction of the drawer, in which respect a front panel is arranged at the front in the extension direction while a back wall is provided at the rear side which is rearward in the extension direction. The two double-walled drawer side walls which define the interior of the drawer extend in the extension direction, and then the entire drawer is closed off downwardly by a drawer bottom.

FIG. 1 shows a drawer which is denoted generally by 1 and can be extended in the extension direction 2 from a carcass 7 of an article of furniture (this is not shown here). The drawer 1 can be pushed into a carcass 7 again in the opposite direction to the extension direction 2. The drawer bottom 3 of the drawer 1 is delimited laterally by the two double-walled drawer side walls 4 (outer wall 4 a, inner wall 4 b). A rear back wall 5 is connected to those drawer side walls 4. Provided in the front region is a front panel 6 which can be releasably connected in per se known manner by way of a releasable latching connection to the drawer side walls 4 or connecting devices which are not shown in greater detail therein.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic side view of a carcass 7 of an article of furniture with two inserted lower drawers 1. For movably guiding the drawers 1 the arrangement has a respective carcass rail 8 connected to the carcass 7 and a drawer rail 9 which is movable relative thereto. A central rail (not shown) can also be provided between those two rails 8, 9 to provide a full-extension system. At any event the drawers 1 are releasably connected to that rail system 8, 9 so that the drawer 1 can be easily fitted or can also be removed for cleaning purposes.

In such a case it is usual for the drawer 1 to be placed on the worktop 10 or another support surface. Frequently in that case the drawer 1 is tilted upwardly at the front as shown by the directional arrow 2 a, whereby, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 3 a, the rear lower end of the outer wall 4 a of the drawer side wall 4 presses into the worktop 10. In that case there is the risk of damage thereto. Now, according to the invention—as for example FIG. 3a shows in detail—the rear lower end of the outer wall 4 a is provided with a rounded configuration 11 which in this embodiment is provided directly by rounding off the outer wall 4 a. The rounded configuration 11 reduces the sharp-edged nature there and thus reduces the risk of damage to the worktop 10 or another surface. The metal drawer side wall 4 is preferably coated, in which case the subsequent coating also extends on to the end 4 e of the rounded configuration 11.

The view shown in FIG. 4 illustrates a drawer 1 having a double-walled drawer side wall 4 according to the invention, from the inner underside. The region B is shown in FIG. 4a on an enlarged scale.

Besides the drawer bottom 3 and the back wall 5, the drawer 1 has a drawer side wall 4, the outer wall 4 a of which is flanged over in the lower region along the longitudinal edge 12. The rounded configuration 11 according to the invention is provided in that region which is flanged in a U-shape.

A drawer box rail 13 is fixedly connected to the drawer side wall 4.

FIG. 5 shows a diagrammatic section along line C-C in FIG. 4. It is possible to see the double-walled drawer side wall 4 having an outer wall 4 a and an inner wall 4 b which are formed integrally with each other and which overall form a hat-shaped profile (a so-called hat-shaped trim).

At the underside a drawer box rail 13 is fixedly connected to the double-walled drawer side wall 4, more specifically both to the outer wall 4 a and also to the inner wall 4 b. The connection 14 can be made for example by welding or gluing. The drawer box rail 13 has a support leg 13 a for the drawer bottom 3 and serves for releasable connection to a diagrammatically illustrated rail system comprising a drawer rail 9, a central rail and a carcass rail 8.

The enlarged view shown in FIG. 6 illustrates the rear lower end of the outer wall 4 a. The notional prolongation of the lower longitudinal edge 4 c and the rear vertical edge 4 d intersects at the intersection S. The rounded configuration 11 in this embodiment is of a substantially circular configuration, wherein the radius of curvature R is preferably between 1 mm and 10 mm and preferably between 2 mm and 5 mm.

The spacing D of the rounded configuration 11 from the notional intersection S is at least 1 mm, preferably at least 2 mm, and at most 2 cm.

Those dimensions provide for good edge protection. On the other hand the visual aspect is not adversely affected.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 7a and 7b has a separate edge protection part 15 which can comprise plastic. It has the rounded configuration 11. As FIGS. 7a and 7b show the edge protection part 15 can be fitted on to the outer wall 4 a of the double-walled drawer side wall 4, in which case a small latching element in the interior of the receiving slot 17 of the edge protection part 15 latches into an opening 16 and securely holds the edge protection part 15 in position.

LIST OF REFERENCES

-   1 drawer -   2 extension direction -   2 a directional arrow -   3 drawer bottom -   4 double-walled drawer side wall -   4 a outer wall -   4 b inner wall -   4 c lower longitudinal edge -   4 d rear vertical edge -   4 e end -   4 f bent portion -   5 rear wall -   6 front panel -   7 furniture carcass -   8 carcass rail -   9 drawer rail -   10 worktop -   11 rounded configuration -   12 longitudinal edge -   13 drawer box rail -   13 a support leg -   14 connection -   15 edge protection part -   16 opening -   17 receiving slot 

1. A double-walled drawer side wall comprising: an outer wall, an inner wall connected to the outer wall, and a base for a drawer bottom, wherein—in a side view of the drawer side wall—a rounded configuration is provided at the rear lower end of the outer wall, and in that this rear lower end of the outer wall is located lower than the drawer bottom.
 2. The double-walled drawer side wall according to claim 1, wherein the rounded configuration is formed at the outer wall itself.
 3. The double-walled drawer side wall according to claim 2, wherein the outer wall is flanged at the lower longitudinal edge.
 4. The double-walled drawer side wall according to claim 3, wherein in the region of the lower longitudinal edge—viewed in cross-section—the outer wall is bent in a substantially U-shaped configuration, wherein the bent portion extends at the inside of the outer wall.
 5. The double-walled drawer side wall according to claim 3, wherein the bent portion and the lower part of the outer wall—which part preferably extends substantially parallel to the portion—has substantially the same rounded configuration at the rear lower end thereof.
 6. The double-walled drawer side wall according to claim 1, wherein the outer wall and the inner wall comprise a metal sheet—which is preferably between 0.1 mm and 2 mm and particularly preferably between 0.2 mm and 1 mm in thickness.
 7. The double-walled drawer side wall according to claim 1, wherein the outer wall and preferably also the inner wall is provided with a coating, wherein said coating is also provided in the region of the end of the rounded configuration, that preferably extends substantially at a right angle to the adjoining outside surface of the outer wall.
 8. The double-walled drawer side wall according to claim 1, wherein the rounded configuration is curved in a convex shape, for example substantially in the shape of a circular arc.
 9. The double-walled drawer side wall according to claim 8, wherein the radius of curvature of the circular arc is between 1 mm and 10 mm, preferably between 2 mm and 5 mm.
 10. The double-walled drawer side wall according to claim 1, wherein the spacing of the rounded configuration from the intersection of the notional prolonged lower longitudinal edge of the outer wall with the notional prolonged rear vertical edge of the outer wall is at least 1 mm, preferably at least 2 mm, and is at most 2 cm.
 11. The double-walled drawer side wall according to claim 1, wherein the rounded configuration is provided at a separate edge protection part connected to the outer wall—preferably by way of a latching connection.
 12. The double-walled drawer side wall according to claim 1, wherein in the lower region a drawer box rail which is portion-wise of a U-shaped profile is arranged between the outer wall and the inner wall and is connected to same.
 13. The double-walled drawer side wall according to claim 1, wherein the rounded configuration extends from the rear end of the straight lower longitudinal edge of the outer wall to the lower end of the straight rear vertical edge of the outer wall.
 14. A process for producing the double-walled drawer side wall according to claim 1, comprising forming the rounded configuration at the rear lower end of the outer wall and then coating the drawer side wall together with the rounded configuration thereof.
 15. A process for producing the double-walled drawer side wall according to claim 11, comprising shaping the drawer side wall, optionally coating same, and then fitting a rounded-off edge protection part at the rear lower end of the outer wall.
 16. A drawer comprising two oppositely disposed double-walled drawer side walls, each of the two oppositely disposed double-walled drawer side walls being configured as the double-walled drawer side wall according to claim
 1. 17. The drawer according to claim 16, further comprising a forward front panel, a rear back wall, and a drawer bottom respectively connected—preferably releasably—to the drawer side walls. 